4: The Usual Suspects
by OracleBones
Summary: Wonder what Ace was doing while the boys dealt with the cops in Baltimore? Wonder no more. Occurs after Seattle and before Nightmare.
1. Chapter 1

**Baltimore...**

The detective came into the room holding a cup of coffee and gave me a short smile. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared down my nose at him.

"Hey there." he said cheerfully.

"I wanna see my brothers." I said back, my voice flat. He paused, and the forced joviality left him.

"You'll be able to see Sam once we decide we're through with him. But Dean is going to be here a while." he replied, and sat down across from me, sliding the coffee over the table to me. I glanced at it and then looked at the wall, ignoring him.

"I've already heard _their_ story. So tell me, what are _you_ doing here?" he said, leaning forward on his elbows. I sighed, glancing back at him.

"I came here with them." I said simply, and he gave me a tight smile, unamused.

"So I gathered. But you have family in Texas, don't you? A Mr. and Mrs. Graves?" he went on, earning a raised eyebrow from me. He let out a fake gasp of surprise, and then gave me a sympathetic look.

"Oh, sorry. _Had._ They died in a house fire a few months ago, didn't they?" his voice held a note of spite behind the apologetic tone. I narrowed my eyes at him, gritting my teeth.

"Yeah. They're all I got left." I said, my voice a low growl. The detective nodded, looking down at the table top.

"I see. And, uh, when did you find out they were your brothers?" he asked. I threw him a 'what-the-hell' look.

"I've _always_ known. They were visiting me when the house went up." I lied, frowning at him. Was he going to try to pin the fire on Dean too? I mean, technically yeah, the boys _did_ burn the house down, but they didn't kill my family. They killed the _thing_ that did.

The detective drummed his fingers on the table top for a minute, and we watched each other. Finally, he sat forward again, talking with his hands.

"Look, how do you _know_ that it wasn't Dean who started that fire? Hmm? How do you know?" he said, and I stood abruptly, slamming my hands on the table-top, my chair toppling over behind me. Training a 'murder-you-gruesome' glare on him, I blew out a slow breath, so that when I spoke I wouldn't be yelling.

"He wouldn't _do_ that. They saved my _life_ that day, and Dean has been pulling my ass from fires ever since. He's not a murderer. Just in the _wrong_ place, at the _wrong_ time."

The detective stared at me for a few minutes, then he shrugged and stood. I watched him like a hawk, bristling with hatred.

"So, _you_ say. But we have evidence _against_ that claim." he said, crossing to the door and looking back at me. My eyes narrowed as his gaze traveled down to my feet and back up again. Did he just 'up-down' me?

"Enjoy your stay, Ms. Winchester." he added with a smirk, and left. I listened to his footsteps fade and shook myself. I got a bad vibe from that guy, he creeped me out.

Sighing, I paced to the wall, crossing my arms over my chest and staring out the window. There was a knock at the door, and I turned to see a female detective standing in the doorway. She didn't look happy.

"What now?" I said bitterly, turning away.

"We're letting you go. You're brother Sam took off on us, out the window. We're looking for him now, but we can't hold you. We've got nothing on you." she explained. I sighed, turning back to her and giving her a weary look.

"Can I have my _stuff_ back?" I asked, and she tossed me a plastic bag. It felt a bit light, and when I opened it I realized all it held were my phone, my wallet, my silver charm bracelet, and my pocket knife. I frowned up at her.

"Where's the _rest?_ " I demanded, and she put her hands on her hips, skeptical.

"You really think we're gonna let you run around with an unregistered handgun?" she asked, and I paused for a moment. Then I gave in, nodding.

"Fine. Whatever." I muttered, and she led the way to the front door. As I started to walk out, she grabbed my arm. I looked down at her hand with narrowed eyes, then glanced at her face. She was watching me with a look I couldn't quite place. Indecision mixed with worry.

"I don't wanna see you in here again, you hear me?" she said quietly. I hesitated, then nodded, shaking her off. I could feel her eyes on my back as I headed down the street, pulling out my cell-phone and dialing Sam. He picked up on the third ring.

"Ace?" he said worriedly. I smirked and stopped in the mouth of an alley to talk.

"Yeah, I'm okay. They let me walk." I replied. He let out a relieved huff and when he spoke again I could hear a smile on his lips.

"How'd they handle my little disappearing act?" he asked jokingly, and I laughed.

"They were pissed. _But_ , since they got nothin' on me, they couldn't keep me." I said, and frowned, remembering. I let out a soft noise, frustrated, and Sam heard me.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, concerned. I looked down the alley, watching a stray dog as it nosed through a trash can for scraps.

"They knew about the fire, Sam. They're gonna try and pin it on Dean. All of it." I explained, and felt my throat tighten up. I did my best not to think about it, but with it shoved in my face like that, keeping my head clear was proving to be difficult. Dragging a hand across my eyes to clear the tears building in them, I swallowed hard and threw a glance around for something to distract myself.

Sam spat out a curse, sighing harshly. I smirked, nodding.

"Yeah." I said, and looked up at the grey sky. A stray tear slipped down my cheek, and I grit my teeth, rubbing at my eyes again and cursing under my breath.

"You okay?" he asked, and his voice was a little harder now. He was getting angry. I sighed, long and slow, and blinked away a few tears.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. I'm gonna lay low for a while. They might try to follow me back to you. I'll call if I find anything." I replied, glancing around again. I didn't see any suspicious vehicles around, but better safe than sorry. On the other end of the line I heard Sam shuffle some papers.

"Be careful, Ace. We'll meet back up when this is all over." he said quietly. I lowered my phone and pressed my hand to my mouth for a minute, sniffling again. Then I pocketed it and pushed off the wall, heading down the alley. I needed cash, and to get it, I needed to find a bar.  
I was in the mood for some billiards.


	2. Chapter 2

Three hours, and four rounds of pool later, I was carefully folding a crisp stack of dollar bills when a hand landed on my shoulder. I gasped as I was suddenly jerked around to face a very big, very angry biker. He cocked his arm back, and I managed to duck just in time for his fist to swing over my head, letting out a yelp of surprise. Scrambling around his legs in a crab-walk, I stumbled to my feet, fists raised in defense.

"Whoa, man! Let's talk about this!" I cried, backing away toward the door. He turned around, scowling deeply, and to his left a smaller guy rushed over.

"That's her, she's the one. Just cheated us out of this month's rent! Kick her ass, Jerry!" he barked, shoving a finger in my direction and grinning sharkily. I grit my teeth, my mouth twisting, and turned my attention back to the big guy. He advanced on me with long, slow strides, and squared his shoulders, raising fists the size of my head. I was seriously outmatched here.

"C'mon! You wouldn't...hit a _girl_...would you?" I asked innocently, holding my hands out to the sides in a pleading gesture and tilting my head, giving him a smile. He hesitated, glancing at his friend a moment, and I seized the chance. Turning on my heel, I bolted for the door, throwing over a pair of chairs as I passed.

"Hey!" the little guy shouted, and I heard heavy feet pounding behind me. I threw myself at the door and scrambled outside, setting off down the alley at a dead sprint, arms pumping as my legs ate distance. Thank you high-school track! I held the record for the 300 kilometer dash. I was out of earshot in seconds, tearing around the corner so hard my feet slid on the wet pavement. I was doing good, until a car pulled out in front of me at the corner.

I managed to gasp, and kick off the ground at the last second. But then I was tumbling across the hood, my head hitting the windshield with a crack that dazed me. I slumped to the pavement on the other side, winded, and the driver climbed out of his seat, spitting curses.

"Hey! Hey, are you okay? Are you out of your mind?!" he shouted, circling the car and stopping short next to me. I looked up slowly, reaching up to touch the back of my head gingerly. The glare fell from his face, and he knelt beside me. He didn't look much older than me, with blonde-brown hair, and hazel eyes. I started to nod at him, but he took hold of my head in both hands, tilting it forward and inspecting the damage.

"Well, you're not bleeding. What are you doing running into the street like that?" he said, releasing me and grabbing my arm. He helped me stand, and I looked back the way I'd come. My eyes widened, and I gasped, crouching down behind the car. The guys from the bar were making their way up the street toward us, and judging from the glint across the backs of their hands, they'd upgraded to brass knuckles. The driver glanced up at them, frowning for a moment. Then he seemed to understand, and reached past me, pulling the handle on the passenger door.

"Get in." he said quietly. I looked up at him, deliberating. Take my chances with the thugs, or this stranger who'd at least had the decency to see if I was alright? This guy at least seemed like he wasn't going to try to kill me. For now. With a quick nod, I climbed in, hiding in the floorboards. He calmly closed the door and rounded the car, pretending to check the tires before he climbed back in the driver's side. He strapped in, looked both ways, and eased forward, slowly getting back up to speed. When we'd gone at least a block, he checked the rear-view mirror and smirked.

"Coast is clear." he said quietly, glancing down at me. I sighed, climbing up into the seat and letting my head fall back a moment.

"Thanks. Pretty sure those guys were going to kill me." I said, and shot him a grateful smile. He nodded, eyes on the road.

"If they caught you, that would have been the least of your worries. Trust me." he said, voice low. I paused as I pulled my seat-belt on, worried I'd made the wrong choice. I was about to leave it off when he slowed, turning into a parking lot behind an apartment building. He pulled into a space and parked, but left the engine running. Then he looked over at me.

"So. What are you running for? What did you do to them?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. I bit my lip, glancing out the windshield. The fences around the lot were too tall for me to climb. The gate was motorized, and was already closing again. I'd let myself be cornered. Like a rookie. If I made it out of this, Dean was _never_ finding out.

"Um...they thought I cheated...at pool." I stammered, letting the seat-belt free and laying my hands on my thighs, keeping the door handle in my peripheral. He frowned at me, eyes narrowing.

"Really? That's all?" he asked, and laughed, shaking his head as he reached for the steering wheel again. He paused, looking over at me again, his eyes travelling over me from head to toe. Still chuckling to himself, he switched gears to reverse and backed out, pulling toward the gate to leave. I looked around again, my fingers twitching as I readied to tuck and roll from the car.

"I thought it was drugs or something. Wow. Can't believe they'd get so bent out of shape over a damn game of pool." he said quietly, and we pulled back onto the road. I picked at my jeans, watching the road signs, waiting for an opportunity.

"And with a _girl_ , no less." he added quietly. I glanced at him, frowning. His eyebrows were high in disbelief, and he was shaking his head. I leaned on the car door, turning my upper body to face him as I did so.

"I'm sorry, are you suggesting that girls can't play?" I asked, adding the proper amount of offended to my tone. He glanced over, and let out a scoffing laugh.

"What, you mean you _actually_ beat them?" he asked, glancing at the road ahead of us. The light ahead was red, and he slowed to a stop.

"You didn't just get lucky?" he added, propping his arm on the steering wheel. I quirked my eyebrows, face smug.

"What can I say? It was an easy hustle." I said, grinning at him. The light turned green, and his foot hit the gas automatically, even as he gaped at me. I raised my free hand, throwing him a swift, two-fingered salute, as I pulled the door handle and let myself tumble backwards out of the car. The door slammed shut, and I rolled to my feet, setting off at a sprint. Up ahead there was a public park, and I made a bee-line for it, digging my phone from my back pocket as I went. It was a little scuffed, but when I flipped it open the screen glowed up at me faithfully, and I smirked. I wandered through the park for a few minutes before I found the bathrooms, and ducked inside a stall. Scrolling through my contacts, I dialed Bobby's number and lifted the phone to my ear. It only rang once before he answered, and I grinned at the gruff tone in his voice.

"Where in the hell are Sam and Dean?" he demanded, and I leaned against the wall a moment.

"That...is a long story, Bobby. But not why I'm calling. I need a favor." I replied, earning a harsh sigh and a muttered curse.

"Of course you do. What is it?" he growled, and in the background I heard him drop what sounded like a metal pan on the table top.

"If you're busy Bobby, I can call back." I said quickly, feeling a twinge of guilt. He paused a moment, and then let out a weary sigh.

"No...no, I'm not busy. What do you need kid?" he finally said, voice softer. I smiled, glancing around out of habit. The bathroom was empty though, no one would overhear.

"I need you to find out where the car's been impounded. We're in Baltimore." I said, and he started to curse again. He caught himself before he shouted it across the phone, and I heard him take a deep breath through his nose.

"You tell those two _idjits_ that they owe me a story for this." he snapped, and I chuckled quietly.

"I'll explain everything later, Bobby. I promise." I replied, grinning.

"Yeah, all right. I'll call you when I find something." he said, and hung up. I closed my phone and slid to the floor, crouching for a moment. My legs ached, throbbing in time with my heartbeat, and I sighed, propping my chin in my hand. The sun would set in a few hours, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that the city would be more dangerous at night. I needed a place to crash until Bobby called. Squatting was illegal in most major cities though, I couldn't stay here. Cops would be patrolling for the homeless before long. Letting out a long, slow sigh, I pushed to my feet and left, shoving my hand deep in my pockets as I trudged through the park. If I was going to escape custody, and hopefully survive the night without another incident, I was going to have to follow the hobos.


	3. Chapter 3

Scanning the scattering crowds, I followed the flow of foot traffic down the sidewalk, looking for anyone who looked like they might sleep the streets. An elderly woman caught my eye, hobbling along down the sidewalk, pressed to the edge of the street as she pushed a small shopping cart filled to the brim with aluminum scrap.

"Bingo." I murmured, and fell in behind her, a few yards back. In my experience, it was better they didn't think you were following them. Even if you were. She glanced over her shoulder, but her gaze passed over me as if she hadn't seen me. I paused anyway, pretending to look for someone as she continued on. At the corner she crossed the street, heading for an underpass on the other side of some shops. I jogged across the avenue, keeping her in my sights, and soon we were alone on a darkened side-street. She continued to hobble, meandering at a leisurely pace, and I slouched, watching the road behind me from the corner of my eye.

"You lost, chil'?" the woman asked suddenly, her accent surprisingly Cajun for so far north. I looked at her, but she was still walking, hadn't even looked back. I glanced around and said nothing, slowing my pace a half step.

"S'alright. The city s'a big place. Easy to get lost he'a." she went on, and paused, turning to look back at me and giving me a smile. I hesitated, stopping in my tracks and glancing around. I wasn't sure, but it was possible I'd cornered myself again. With one gnarled, shaking hand, she gestured to me to catch up, still smiling gently. I bit my lip, deliberating a moment.

"Come, come. Do ya have someplace to spen' the night?" she said, and I sighed, giving in. She was just a little old lady after all, what could she possibly do?

"No, ma'am. I'm...a bit lost, m'afraid." I said quietly, walking up and stopping just out of reach. She shook her head, clicking her tongue at me as she turned back to her cart. As she started moving again, I followed at a slower pace.

"Picked a bad place to get lost at chil', dis' a bad neighba'hood fo'a pretty young ting like yeself." she said, chuckling quietly under her breath. I glanced around again, but the street was still empty, still quiet. We turned a corner and she drew her cart up next to a slatted fence. The gate creaked as she opened it, and inside the yard sat a small cluster of shanties. A collection of elderly people sat around a small woodstove. They glance up as we entered, and a man stood.

"Jeana, what'chu foun' de'a?" he called jokingly, his accent also Cajun. I hesitated, glancing around at them. My eyes caught on the wall of the shanty to my right, and I felt a chill. A symbol had been carved into the wood, just above the right hand corner of the door. It was hoodoo, Sam had told me about it. As far as spellwork went, it was pretty benign, a protection charm. But if they knew that much, what else did they know?

"Go on leave hu'lone, Remy. Po' girl scared as is. Come on, sweethawt. Let Mama Jee get you a'somethin to eat. Sit he'a." the old woman said, pushing me toward an empty chair by the stove with a hand at the small of my back. I sat hesitantly, and watched as she disappeared into the main house. The old man named Remy sat down again and leaned forward. He pulled the door of the woodstove open, stoking the fire with a long, thin metal pipe. I watched him closely, ready to bolt. But he simply closed the door again and sat back, leaning the pipe against the side of his chair. Then he looked me over, studying my face for a few minutes.

"You been through a lot, ain' you girl?" he asked suddenly, startling me, and I glanced around as the others looked over at me too. Fidgeting, I lowered my gaze to my lap and said nothing. He nodded slowly, his eyes wandering to the woodstove, and the door of the main house opened again. Jeana came out holding a steaming bowl. She hobbled over and held it out to me. I took it with a half-hearted smile, and inspected the food for a moment. It was gumbo, smelled like shrimp and crab maybe, and it made my mouth water.

"It ain' dat spicy. We a bit too old fo'dat spicy food. But is warm, and it'a fill ya'belly." she said, patting my shoulder gently. I gave her a grateful smile and thanked her quietly, stirring it a few times before I tried a bite. It tasted fine, and I was starving. It had been hours since I'd last eaten, and my stomach grumbled loudly. The others broke into laughter at the sound, and one of the men next to me gave me a rough pat on the shoulder.

"Soun' like you keepin' a damn bear in ya'pocket dere, girl!" Remy joked, rocking in his chair as he laughed heartily. I chewed slowly, swallowing down the first bite before I spoke.

"This is delicious, thank you." I said quietly, smiling over at Jeana. She waved away my thanks, sitting down slowly and giving me a smirk.

"It weren' no big thang chil', I never been one to let a po' soul starve." she replied, settling back and sighing softly. I took another spoonful of food and leaned back in my own chair. A symbol of protection and a few Cajun accents weren't enough to be worried over. And if they'd wanted to kill me, it would have been easy enough to do already. I wasn't going to drop my guard, but there was no point waiting on the edge of my seat.

As I dug into my supper the others talked, laughing and joking, telling stories from the day. The atmosphere was soothing, bordering on familiar, and I felt myself relaxing. When I'd finished my food I held the bowl in my lap and closed my eyes, listening to their voices drone in the background.

* * *

I startled awake some time later as someone shook my shoulders, and I jumped to my feet, stumbling backward a few steps.

"Easy, girl! You alright?" Remy barked, holding his hands out in a calming gesture. I glanced around, heart pounding in my chest, and nodded, giving him a sheepish look.

"Jeana said to come up the house when you was ready, but you din' look to be wakin' up any time soon." he explained, pointing toward the main house. I patted myself down and gathered the bowl off the ground, giving him a quiet thank you. He nodded, waving as he walked off to one of the huts and disappeard inside. I gazed after him for a moment, and sighed. It would be rude to turn down the offer, and I was tired, but I needed to move on. Setting the bowl on the chair, I dug my cash from my pocket and counted out a little over sixty in small bills. Pocketing the rest, I took up the dish and made my way to the door of the main house. It opened with a muted groan of wood, and I set the bowl on the floor, the small wad of cash tucked under the edge. As I closed the door and looked around, I spotted a ladder leaned against the corner of the fence and smiled. My luck was holding out.

I escaped the yard quietly, and trotted around to the front of the house, glancing up and down the darkened street before I started off down the sidewalk. As if on cue, my phone vibrated, and quietly spouted the opening notes of Three Dog Night's "Old Fashioned Love Song". I dug it from my pocket and flipped it open.

"Hey, Bobby. Whatcha' got for me?" I asked, smiling as I threw another cursory glance around. He shuffled some papers and cleared his throat.

"The car's in a lock-up on Robertson Boulevard." he said gruffly, shaking what sounded like a map, "Where are you?" he added as an after thought. I looked up at the nearest street sign and squinted at it in the dark.

"Looks like...I am thoroughly lost. I think that sign says Royal Avenue?" I replied, laughing quietly to myself. Bobby gave a huff that didn't sound amused, and I sobered.

"If you are where I think you are, you'll have to find a car if you wanna get to that impound lot before they find the arsenal in the trunk." he growled, all piss and vinegar. I scuffed to a stop and looked up at the night sky. It was clouded and orange from the light pollution, and I sighed.

"Bobby, you sound upset, what's wrong?" I asked quietly, turning my gaze to the darkened street. He didn't say anything, but he let out a harsh sigh and I heard him set the map aside.

"Nothin...I'm just...worried, I guess. You ain't never been on your own before, and...well, bad things happen to pretty girls, Ace." he finally replied, his voice a little softer than before. I smirked, and chuckled.

"C'mon, Bobby. I'm the luckiest person you know." I said jokingly, and he scoffed.

"No, _Garth_ is the luckiest person I know. _You_ got a habit of turnin' up near _dead_." he retorted, and I laughed again.

"Yeah, well. I promise that won't happen this time, okay?" I said, trying for reassuring. He sighed and I started walking again.

"Yeah, okay. But you have my number if somethin' _does_ happen. So you'd _better_ use it." he said and hung up. Smirking to myself, I pocketed my phone and lengthened my stride. There were lights farther up the road, and I needed to get directions.


	4. Chapter 4

An older woman with a Yorkie and an 'I'd like to speak to a manager' haircut gave me a lift to the medical center nearby, after I convinced her that my mother was there with heart problems. The entire twenty minute drive she pelted me with questions about her, and I offered up the least ridiculous lies I could think of, finally giving up and staring out the window, fiddling with my phone nervously. She must have seen it as the worry finally sinking in because the questions came slower after that. I almost thought she was going to try and walk me to the damn emergency room, but she finally left me as we reached the front doors, waving and wishing me and my "mother" luck. I waved at her until she was out of sight and walked inside. A girl about my age was tending the front desk and I gave her a small smile as I walked up.

"Hi, can I help you?" was her practiced greeting, and I glanced around before leaning on the desk.

"Hi. I'm actually just a bit lost. I was wondering, do you know how to get to the police impound lot? I heard it was around here, and I left something _really_ important in my friend's car..." I trailed off, gazing at her pleadingly, and she hesitated for a moment. Then she leaned forward.

"Was it...like... _drugs_ or something?" she asked, and I grit my teeth, struggling to maintain my expression.

"No, nothing like that, _jeez_ no. It's my _wallet._ " I retorted, and she balked, sitting back with a look of embarrassment.

"Yeah, I left it in the backseat and the cops said I could get it back if I just went down to impound." I explained, giving what I hoped sounded like an embarrassed laugh. She nodded slowly, with an "Oh! Okay!" and turned to her computer screen. After a few clicks and some tapping at the keyboard she let out a quiet, "Oh!" and turned back to me.

"It's actually right around the corner from here. Just got out to the left, and make another left at the corner, and the lot is just across the highway." she said cheerfully, pointing as she gave the directions. I sighed in relief and thanked her, waving as I headed back to the door. She grinned and looked away, distracted by another customer. As I slipped out the door I let the smile fall from my face.

"Why do people assume I'm on drugs?!" I hissed, heading out toward the road at a brisk trot. I'd have to ask Sam and Dean about that one when I finally made it back to them. As I rounded the side of the building, I saw stadium lights on the other side of the over pass ahead and picked up my pace to a jog. That had to be the impound lot, the lights were a dead giveaway, and the razorwire topping the fence was a good indicator too.

I slowed to a walk as I reached the front gate, watching for a guard. A car drove past me, pulling up to the gate and stopping for a moment, and sure enough, a man in a uniform stepped out of the small shack, waving them inside as the gate began to slide open. It was automated, run on a small, noisy motor, and I made a mental note of where the noise was coming from. Plan A was to walk in the front and sign the car out the legal way. But if that failed, Plan B would need a good distraction. I doubted I could make it far if I had to drive it like I stole it, but if it came down to it, I'd take my chances.

The gate began to close again, and I rushed across the street, making my way over to the guard and giving him a small wave. He squinted at me, suspicious, and I plastered on an innocent smile.

"What are you doin' here, miss?" he asked, voice gruff, and I looked around.

"This is the Police Impound lot, right? I'm here to pick up a car." I replied, keeping my voice light and tucking my hair behind my ear as I spoke. Just as I'd hoped, he bought into it, watching me closely, his demeanor shifting from confrontational to passive. He glanced over his shoulder, inside the guard shack, before he turned back to me and smirked.

"You're a little early." he said, and his tone had slipped toward friendly banter. I bit my lip and glanced down at the ground, playing up the "shy little girl" act a bit.

"Oh...um, I'm sorry. It's just, I really need it back. See, it's my brother's car, but I'm s'posed to drive our mom to the hospital later, and..well, mine is broke down, so..." I trailed off, fiddling with my fingers and giving him 'Bambi eyes'. He hesitated, looking me over for a moment, then he sighed and took off his hat, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, alright. C'mon, I'll let you in." he said, and stepped into the shack to open the gate. I gave a little bounce in place, and grinned at him.

"Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!" I gushed, laying it on thick, he nodded slowly, his smirk widening, and watched me walk past him, eyes glued to my ass. I mentally checked myself before I clenched my fists, and turned on him with a smile.

"Right this way." he said, holding his arm out as he lead me toward the office. I waited for him to go first and followed a few feet behind, gritting my teeth against the urge to cold-cock him in the back of the head just for the hell of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Forty-five minutes of fake flirting and paperwork later I was sliding the keys into the ignition. The Impala roared to life and I let her roll out of the parking lot, waving cheerfully at the guard as I passed. He blew me a kiss, and I pretended to be embarrassed, before I pulled onto the road and put my foot down. She jumped forward with a roar, and we sped away.

I spat out a noise of disgust and shook myself, reaching over to turn on the radio. A classic rock station was on, and I could hear the closing notes of Jet Airliner playing under the half static. Turning my attention back to the road, I pulled off into the parking lot of a small supermarket and dialed Sam. He picked up on the third ring, his voice worried.

"Ace? You okay?" he asked, and in the background I heard a loud truck drive past him. I frowned, but I nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Better than okay. I just got the car back." I replied, and he let out a short laugh.

"How the hell did you pull _that_ off?" he exclaimed, and I felt a little pride for myself at the amazement in his voice.

"It was no big deal. I never wanna do it _again,_ but it was no big deal." I said jokingly, and he chuckled quietly. In the background I heard someone talking in a low voice, and Sam murmured back.

"Hey, Ace?" he prompted, and I heard sirens in the distance behind him. I frowned, sitting forward, hands on the keys.

"Yeah?" I said back, keying the ignition and taking hold of the gearshift.

"We're outside town, think you can come pick us up?" he asked, and the sirens got louder.

"Where?" I asked, and shifted gears, pulling out of the lot and onto the road.

"Uuuuhh...I'll have to get back to you on that one..." he said, and I heard Dean bark at him to run. The call dropped and I flipped my phone shut, tucking it under my leg as I barreled down the street, barely below the speed limit.

* * *

I found them nearly two hours later, thirty miles outside the city at a small gas station. Sam had managed to text me the name of the road, and the mile marker before I'd left the city, and with Bobby's help, I'd found my way. As I pulled into the parking lot, Dean stalked toward the car, face a mask of unhappiness. I'd barely shifted gears to park when he wrenched the door open and ordered me to scoot over. I scrambled to comply and he climbed in, looking over the dash board for blemishes.

"She's fine, Dean. I already checked." I said quietly, earning a momentary scowl. Sam climbed in the other side and glance over at me, and then frowned.

"You okay, Ace?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah. Why?" I replied, and he exchanged glances with Dean before shaking his head.

"Nothin'...I guess. You just...look kinda pale." he mused, laying his arm across the seat back. I leaned back, getting comfortable.

"Well, that explains why everyone thinks I'm on drugs." I commented, and smirked at them. Dean let out a short laugh, settling back and shifting the car into drive. Then he glanced down at me, one eyebrow crooked, and shook his head.

"Drugs. That's a new one." he said and laughed again. We pulled back onto the main road and I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned against Sam's side.

"So, what'd you do yesterday?" he prompted, his arm falling around my shoulders. I yawned, reaching up and rubbing my eye, and then dug the wad of cash from my pocket.

"I made three hundred bucks. And then I got hit by a car. And _then_ I had dinner with a Hoodoo priestess. And _then_ I sweet-talked the guy at Impound into giving me the car back, for _free._ " I broke off with another yawn, and Dean scoffed.

"You _what?_ " he demanded, and I looked over at him.

"What, you don't believe me?" I asked, and he glanced at me, frowned, and shrugged.

"Eh...Stranger things have happened." he finally said, and I smirked, tucking the money back in my pocket and closing my eyes. I snuggled closer to Sam and he chuckled quietly.

"I gotta admit, I'm actually a little surprised." he commented, giving my shoulders a squeeze. I shook my head slightly and sighed.

"What can I say, I'm a quick learner." I murmured, my words slurring as exhaustion set in. I didn't actually know how much sleep I'd gotten the night before, and I was bone tired now. Sam leaned back in his seat, turning slightly so that I had more support, and Dean turned the stereo on, scaling the volume down low. I heard it click as he switched from radio to cassette, and the familiar notes of Zeppelin Four, side two, began to play. I smiled and sighed.

It was good to be home.


End file.
